Medication Administration Safety

HEALTHIER, SAFER SETTINGS FOR OUR CHILDREN

CHDI, in partnership with the Yale School of Nursing, has helped to make early care and education settings safer for children by addressing medication administration safety. 

Efforts to improve the administration of medication in early care settings were sparked by concerns reported in CHDI’s 2009 IMPACT report, “Ensuring Health and Safety in Connecticut’s Early Care and Education Programs”. The report found high rates of noncompliance for administering medication to children in licensed child care settings.

One in 10 Connecticut children enrolled in child care has a special health care need and requires medication while at child care. Unfortunately, parents with children that require medication report being turned away or having difficulty finding a program that can handle their child’s medication need. High-quality training makes administering medication less daunting for the child care provider, safer for the child and less stressful for the parents.

With support from the State of Connecticut (Department of Education and Department of Social Services) and the Children’s Fund of Connecticut, the Yale School of Nursing has led efforts to improve the administration of medication in early care settings, including the development of the following:

• A best practice training curriculum (CT Medication Administration in Early Care and Education) for nurse consultants and early care and education providers (available in English and Spanish)
• Training classes for nurse consultants and child care providers to be certified in the new curriculum
• A statewide registry of trained nurse consultants at the Office of Early Childhood, accessible to child care providers
• Plans to embed medication administration training in the State's quality improvement plan.